North Ford

The traditional crossing point between the islands of Benbecula and North Uist in the Outer Hebrides, the North Ford tends now to refer to the entirety of the shallow, broad and sandy channel, littered with islands, islets and rocks, which extends between the islands of Baleshare in the west and Grimsay in the east. The width of the channel ranges between 1½ miles (2.5 km) and 2½ miles (4 km). Travellers could cross between the islands at low tide, but the danger of a rapidly advancing tide and quicksands required considerable caution. Since 1960 it has been crossed by the North Ford Causeway.